1. Field of the Invention
The present invention is related to a sports boot that is adapted to be associated with a glide board for snowboarding, the boot including an upper that is affixed to sole adapted to cooperate with the board. The invention also includes the combination of such boot and a binding for retaining the boot on a glide board.
2. Description of Background and Relevant Information
Several types of boots exist for practicing the above-mentioned sport. Rigid boots are known to be attached to the board via a system of rear and front stirrups, such system having a latching control located on one of the stirrups and being activated either manually or automatically.
Flexible boots are also known, that are inserted into a shell affixed to the board, the shell including a certain number of straps adapted to affix the boot to the shell.
The main disadvantage of rigid boots lies in the fact that they do not allow for a certain slack or flexibility required for snowboarding. In addition, comfort becomes an arbitrary factor, due to their design and the rigid materials used. Also, the walking function of such boots is not efficient, although it is a function that is particularly necessary and useful for a snowboarder. In the second case, although flexible boots are extremely comfortable while walking, the complementary arrangement of flexible boots with rigid shells is unsatisfactory because of the cumbersome volume of the shells on the board, and also a certain amount of discomfort that is directly linked to the bad retention of the foot and the presence of localized contact between the flexible upper and the rigid parts of the shell.
One solution set forth in U.S. Pat. No. 5,356,170 is intended to find a compromise that enables the use of a flexible boot with a less cumbersome shell that is attached to the board.
More specifically, the proposed device provides a relatively rigid rear support member, such as a spoiler, at the rear of the binding device of the boot, the support member being affixed to the board via fastening means, thus enabling the user to take support on it during a rear edge setting.
This provides definite advantages in the practice of this sport, but some disadvantages have become apparent over time.
Indeed, difficulty arises in finding the correct compromise in the radius of curvature in a horizontal sectional plane of the rear support spoiler. More specifically, if this radius is too encompassing with respect to the upper of the boot, then the spoiler can no longer provide adequate lateral flexibility in some snowboarding positions.
If, on the contrary, the corresponding section of the spoiler in question is given a relatively flat shape so as to avoid this disadvantage, then in that case the flexible upper of the boot that takes support against this flat surface will exert very substantial pressure on a small contact surface that corresponds overall to a generatrix of the upper of the boot with a much smaller radius, leading to substantial pressure on the lower portion of the leg, and will become synonymous with discomfort and pain.
It can also be thought that boots, such as cross-country ski boots with journaled rigid collars, could overcome the disadvantages cited hereinabove by eliminating the above-cited rear support spoiler. In fact, such would not be the case at all, because regardless of whether such boots are associated or not to a rigid rear spoiler, the fact remains that the stiffness of the collars of such boots too greatly limits the lateral flexibility that is required for snowboarding. In addition, these boots are a lot less adapted for walking because of the presence of the collar that stiffens the upper of the boot.
It has not been possible to find a compromise solution in order to resolve the problems that have been cited hereinabove.